Hello, it's me.

Holy moly!  It's been almost 2 months since I blogged!  That's crazy!  Where have I been you ask?  Well, I don't have some exciting, scandalous answer for you.   I've been right here, living life, and completely ignoring my blog.  Not that I haven't been thinking of you all (cuz I have) or thinking about the blog (I have, I even prepped a couple posts and then never finished them).  I just have not had the motivation, time or energy to keep it up.  BUT.... I am ready to start blogging again and have some ideas swirling in my mind about the direction I want this blog to go.  So stay tuned!

In the meantime, would you like to know what we've been up to?  Don't worry, I'll give you the condensed version!

--N graduated from kindergarten! He has also been attending summer camp for the first time this year and is having a blast. And...in 2 weeks he gets to do Lego camp for a week!
--N also got his orange belt and attended his belt promotion ceremony even though he felt super sick that day.
--We had a lovely July 4th BBQing and swimming with family, and watching fireworks at our neighbor's house.
--We had fun playing in the sand and swimming at the state park.
--We've had lots of ice cream dates.
--We've been reading books and doing summer "homework" when the spirit moves us :)
--We've played Lego Dimensions,  Minecraft, and dress up.
--We've made beautiful chalk art on the driveway, rode scooters, rode bikes, jumped on trampolines, played on playgrounds and thrown water balloons.
--We met our new baby cousin, Ronnee.
--We've stayed up late, watched movies and went to the movies  (Secret Life of Pets was soooo cute).
--We discovered our town has an awesome town pool!  And it's only $1 for the kids to use!

And now here we are, almost to August!  In NY, we still have a month of "summer" left before the kids go back to school (we start after Labor day here) but I know it is going to fly by!  We've got busy weekends and a week of vacation at the beach to fit in before September hits!  How about you?  Do you have more summer to enjoy or is it back to school time for you?

That's all for now but keep checking the blog because I will be posting!  Thanks for hanging in there and reading!

xoxo

Friday Favorites!

Woo hoo!  We made it to Friday!  AND... did you notice this is my 3rd blog post of the week??  This must be a record!

So, this past week was pretty great and full of lots of favorites!  I purposely didn't do a weekend recap so I could share some of my Memorial day weekend favorites with you today.

Our long weekend was one of my favorite weekends in recent memory.  We started off at York Beach in Maine on Saturday.  The kids had a blast playing in the water (even though it was freezing!) and running around the beach.  It was so relaxing... I could have stayed for a week!  We also all enjoyed the hotel pool, and I loved that there was a little pool bar for the adults!  

Saturday night we ate at one of our favorite spots... Bob's Clam Shack in Kittery.  It's a must stop if you are ever in southern Maine!

Waiting for our food at Bob's

Sunday morning we all slept in (my kids slept until 8am!!) and then went to a delicious breakfast at Nancy's cafe in York.  I am adding this to my list of new favorite breakfast spots.  I had an amazing Greek omelette and an amazing Mango mimosa!!

After breakfast, we headed to Boston and took the kids to one of my favorite spots ... the New England aquarium.  It was PACKED, but we still had fun.  Nick was slightly disappointed though, as he was under the impression he would be seeing a great white shark there.  Ummm, no.

After hanging with the penguins, sea lions and sting rays, we made our way to the Hilton Doubletree in Danvers where we had passes to the adjoining indoor water park, CoCo Key.  I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of indoor water parks.  They actually skeeve me out.  As I was standing with Alec in the little kids pool and slide area, I kept thinking about how many of those little kids had peed and pooped in their swim diapers and how all that residue was swirling around my feet.  But... my kids (especially Nick) had an AWESOME time there, so for that reason, I will add it to my favorites!  It was a pretty cool place and if you have kids between 5-12, they will love it.  If you're going to be near Boston in the near future, check it out:  http://www.cocokeyboston.com
I believe there are other locations around the US too...

And finally, this is my favorite photo of the week... taken yesterday morning before school to send to dad at work :)

There you have it my friends!  It was a great week and I felt very blessed to be able to spend quality time with my little family!

This weekend will be much more low key.  All we have planned as of now is soccer practice and a baseball game.  Rain is in the forecast so I'll definitely need to find something to do with the kiddos so they don't go stir crazy (or drive me crazy)... maybe the Angry Birds movie?  What are you doing this weekend?  Do you have any fun ideas for a rainy weekend with kids??

Linking up with:

Andrea at Momfessionals

Currently

Watching:
The new Wayward Pines!  I'm so happy they decided to make another season!

Listening To:
Taylor Swift, Flo Rida, DNCE.  Yeah, my musical taste has reverted back to my teenage self.

Loving:  
Sunshine, longer days, my Irises in bloom and green grass

Hating:
90 degree heat.  I'm not ready!!  Let's keep it at a nice, temperate 75!

Feeling:
Nervous, anxious, sad, emotional, proud.  The fact that my first born is graduating kindergarten in a couple weeks has really thrown me for a loop and stirred up all sorts of emotions!  I almost cried when the "last monthly snack calendar" was sent home this week!  I love, love, love his kindergarten teacher- she just gets him.  I am nervous for him to get a new teacher next year, and new classmates. I am nervous for his first summer of day camp (am I the only mom who gets nervous that they take the kids swimming at camp?).  I am sad that he is growing up and can't believe the school year is almost over, but I am also so darn proud of all he has accomplished this year.

Planning:  A little Kindergarten graduation party for Nick.  Nothing crazy...just a small family gathering...but I want to commemorate this milestone and do something special for him to let him know how proud of him we are.

Eating:  More than I should!  WW totally went out the window this past weekend while we were out of town.  But when I am being good, I am totally digging green grapes and all the delicious, juicy, in-season strawberries!

Drinking:
Sparkling ice.  Man, they are good!  And zero calories!

Dreaming of:
Being back in Maine, at York Beach.  And that I was a teacher with summers off!!

Summer Bucket List 2016

This past weekend was the unofficial start to summer, but up here in the north, we still have 3 weeks of school left.  So although I may be a little late with this post, I think I'm still in the realm of acceptable!

So, without further ado,

LIFE AS I KNOW IT 2016 SUMMER BUCKET LIST

1.  Take a week long beach vacation

It's booked!  This year we are trying out Cape May.

2.  Have friends over for dinner and drinks on the deck
I make excellent kabobs and pasta salad!  Want to come over?

3.  Make S'mores in our fire pit

OK, first we have to purchase and then put together said firepit.  But once it's good to go, I want to make S'mores!

4.  Take the kids to the Drive In Theatre 

Maybe see The Secret Life of Pets?

5.  Visit a couple state parks

Swimming and picnics please!

6.  Take a day trip to a water park 

Enchanted Forest?  Zoom Flume?

7.  Pool day at mom's house once a month  

Hopefully more than once a month, but it's an hour and a half drive, so we'll see...

8.  Go to a concert (not sure which concert yet)

9.  Hit another Red Sox/Yankees game

10.  Impromptu weekend getaway with the hubby (any ideas??)

11.  Continue reading!  

My goal is 6 new books this summer

12.  Ice cream dates with the kiddos

One of the best things about summer is soft ice cream at our favorite ice cream spot!

I think it's a pretty do-able list.  And although I do hate the heat (um, why is it already 85-90 degrees in NY??) I do love the longer days, getting outside, and the relaxed pace of summer. 

What's on your summer bucket list? 

Thursday Thoughts

Here's the 411 on all things me lately...

I have a new TV addiction... Dinner at Tiffani's.  I'm not super big on cooking shows, but this one is fun!   And really, how can you not like a show starring Kelly Kapowski (aka Tiffani Thiessan for those of you too young to remember Saved By the Bell)?!  Check it out on Cooking Channel.

I'm feeling very emotional lately.  I just got the invitation to Nick's Kindergarten Celebration (our school does a Celebration rather than a Graduation).  How is my baby almost done with kindergarten already? How did he become an almost 1st grader? Time is going WAY too fast, and I need to slow it down!

I want a pool.  Like REALLY want a pool. Our old house had a pool and I have literally been having dreams that we moved back there so I could have my pool back.  No joke.  Unfortunately, we will not be getting a pool any time in the near future. We are only allowed to have inground pools in our development, and since our backyard is basically a giant hill, it would be crazy expensive to put one in (think gigantic retaining wall). So my plan for the summer is to take many weekend trips to my parent's house to use their pool!

I'm doing Weight Watchers.  Time to shed some pounds!   Do you have any awesome WW recipes to share with me??  I am always on the hunt!

I love Spring!  May brings the prettiest greens and pinks to NY!  It also brings the Mango black tea lemonade back to Starbucks!   #yesplease

I have been reading!  Finally finished Station Eleven, My Grandmother asked me to tell you she's sorry, and The Silent Wife.   Up next is When Breath Becomes Air and then I plan on ordering A Man Called Ove and Britt Marie Was Here (written by the same author that wrote the Grandmother book).  What are you reading?  Any recommendations?

We booked a last minute Memorial day weekend family trip.  We originally had plans to go to Hershey Park, but instead we will be headed to Maine and Boston.  More about our weekend plans coming soon!

Baseball, baseball, and more baseball.  Oh, and karate.

So that's what's up with me.
What's up with you?

For you, in heaven

I think about you so very often.

I think about how old you would be, what you would look like, what you would be doing in your life right now.

I wonder how my life would be different if you were here. 

I have guilt.  Did I make the wrong decisions?  Did I do something wrong?  Was it karma?  Was I being punished for sins of the past?

I feel sadness.  Sadness I will never know you.  Never see you.  Never hug you or smell your sweet skin.

I remember when I lost you.  I remember the pain.  I remember the room, cold and bare.  I remember the stained ceiling and the parade of doctors.  I remember KNOWING but praying for a miracle.  I remember the ride home from the hospital.  I remember the pit in my stomach that took so long to dissipate.  I remember the emptiness. 

I want you to know I am sorry.  I’m so sorry if it was my fault. I’m so sorry you never got the chance to see the world outside my womb.  I’m so sorry your life ended before it even began.

You are always with me.  You are a part of my heart, forever.

I love you.

Mommy

Friday Favorites-Boston, pizza and cookies!

Friday... you are here!

This week has been all about baby shower preparation (and work, baseball, mom and wife duties mixed in of course).  I actually almost forgot that Mother’s Day is Sunday!  Ooops.  Oh yeah, and also a little thing called my wedding anniversary was on May 4^th.  14 years!

So on to the favorites.

Number 1 and 2:  Baby shower favors!

Our shower colors are hot pink and lime green.  My cousin is doing an ocean animal theme in the nursery, so we have also mixed in whales and seashells into the décor.

Favor 1 is from favorsbyangelique on Etsy.  How adorable are these soap whales and the tag attached?!  And I even got them baby powder scented!

Favor 2 are these amazing cookies my friend Katie makes.  She has some serious cookie artistry skills, not to mention her cookies are delish!  These are the only pics she would send me (I am picking them up this afternoon and it's against her "cookie code" to show you your cookies until they are delivered).    I am super excited to see what else she has created!

Number 3 and 4:  Anniversary trip and pizza!

So as I mentioned, we celebrated 14 years of marriage this week.  We hit Boston and the Red Sox/Yankees game to celebrate.  We had a great time!   

I also found my new favorite pizza on the trip.  If you are pre-gaming at Max and Leo's, you HAVE to try the pizza!  So good!

Number 5:  This funny!
I laughed and laughed because this is SO me in the morning!  My co-workers can totally vouch for that fact.

To all my fellow mommies out there... I hope you have a wonderful Mother's day and get spoiled rotten!!  And don't forget to show some love to your own mom, or a special woman in your life!  As for me, I think we are going out to breakfast/brunch and I am really hoping the hubby lets me sleep in!  It would be sooo amazing if he would clean the house too, but I'm not holding my breath!  
What are your Mother's day plans?

Linking up with Andrea at Momfessionals

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